1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to tire treads and more specifically, to heavy vehicle tire treads having a high silica content.
2. Description of the Related Art
Tire wear is of concern to those who must purchase tires because the greater the tire wear, the more expensive it is to operate a vehicle due to the expense of replacing worn tires. This is of more concern to those who operate large fleets of vehicles such as truck fleets or bus lines.
Improving tire wear is often a trade off that must be made against another valued physical property of a tire such as, for example, rolling resistance. The greater the rolling resistance of a tire, the higher the fuel consumption may be and the higher the operating costs.
Selection of reinforcing materials can have an impact on the physical properties of tires. Carbon black has been used for many years as a reinforcement filler of choice. Silica and other so-called white filler have been used also, often providing more desired characteristics than can be achieved with carbon black. An example of silica use as a filler is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,425.
There is a need for improved materials to provide an optimum combination of tire performances.